A man accused of killing a Georgia mother testified in court Wednesday, saying he had nothing to do with the disappearance of the 21-year-old who went missing in South Florida more than six years ago.
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Shannon Ryan, 44, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the disappearance of 21-year-old Leila Cavett.
“Did you kill Leila Cavett?” Ryan was asked in court.
“No ma’am,” he responded.
“Are you involved in Leila Cavett’s disappearance?”
“No ma’am,” he said.
The mother was last seen on July 25, 2020 near a Walmart and a gas station in Hollywood. Hours later, her then-2-year-old son Kamdyn was found wandering alone at an apartment complex in Miramar.
Ryan told the court that he met with Cavett at the gas station, where she was last seen, to buy a truck from her.
He said the two already knew each other, claiming he let the mother live with him earlier that year.
“When she first showed up on my doorstep, she was having issues with her and family and she had nowhere to stay,” Ryan said.
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Court documents stated that Ryan — a self-proclaimed “witch doctor” — was seen on surveillance video dragging a large garbage bag to the gas station dumpster where Cavett was last spotted.
Ryan allegedly bought trash bags, duct tape and carpet odor eliminator at the Walmart where Cavett’s truck was left abandoned, documents said.
In court, the suspect said the items were used to clean the garbage out of his car and the truck he bought from her.
Prosecutors argued that Ryan was the last person with her that night and wasn’t being honest with investigators.
The defense pushed back, saying the mother’s body was never found and that there’s no proof she was ever killed.
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Closing arguments will begin Thursday morning.
Ryan is being held at Broward jail with no bond.